Run Away, Baby
by kellyanne2192
Summary: Eighteen years after the lights went out the war is over, Texas has all but wiped out the remaining Patriot forces, and Monroe and Charlie are married. But that's just the beginning of their troubles. (Charloe) - Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello, dear readers! This is my first attempt at writing a story for Charlie and Monroe, one of my all-time favorite "non"-couples. The basic outline for this story has been bumping around in my head for a while now, and I'm so excited to finally have the time to write it! Please let me know what you think - fresh perspectives are ALWAYS helpful. Thanks for reading!**

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><p>This book belongs to<p>

Charlotte Matheson Monroe

I haven't had much use for this book before. It seemed too empty. And I wasn't sure what I'd fill it with anyway. But maybe this is something I should remember. Because the past few years are already fading away. I should be glad to forget, but with all the bad that gets taken away, the good is stolen along with it. And I'll need to remember something good someday. Even if that good doesn't come for a long time. When it does, I'll be waiting.

I thought that the Revolution was… hard, I guess. It was. But at least I knew I still had my family. Now I have this book.

I gripped Annie's hand. Hard. I could feel my heart running a marathon in the front of my chest, just below the skin. Roars and shouts echoed from the rooms below. The crash of whisky bottles against the walls of my home forced me to remember my mom's glass angel. I never got why it meant so much to her – something about it belonging to my grandmother. It's stupid to have something so fragile – even more stupid if you care what happens to it. Things always break. But in that moment, my stomach nearly heaved when I pictured the small figurine lying broken on the floor next to some shattered liquor bottle. I should've kept it in my bedroom. But he'd said he didn't want it near him. He's always hated her – hated my mom. I used to get that.

He was still entertaining his _friends_, and wouldn't bother to remember me for at least another hour. And by that time we'd be too far out of his reach – past the Republic's border. And he'd never find us.

My husband _will never_ find me.

Annie checked the empty hallway leading to my bedroom for any sign of him, while I worked open the stiff windows. He hadn't yet put locks on them at least. Probably due to the fact that they were on the fourth story of our- _his_ house. Fortunately, we've been through far worse than a forty-foot drop. We survived the Revolution.

But that's all I can say. We aren't safe (yet). We're going to look for Miles in Texas first. It's an obvious move, but I'm not sure what else we can do at this point. But wherever we go, we'll need a head start if we're going to outrun my husband – President Sebastian Monroe.

Charlie Matheson

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><p>Charlotte Monroe stared down at the nearly-two pages she'd filled with her ramblings. Brushing her fingers over the inscription on the first page - her mother's beautiful script, so unlike her own - she barely recognized her own name. Charlotte Matheson<em>... Monroe.<em> Suddenly, she slammed the little leather journal shut and threw it, along with an ancient pen into her bag. _Gaaa_, she was pathetic.


	2. Chapter 2

_Damn. Damn. DAMN. She must've left last night. Maybe early this morning. I'll need my shotgun, handgun, food, water, and supplies. Who knows how long it will take to find her._

Calling out for Forbes and Hamilton, two of his finest officers, Sebastian Monroe jerked his hand through the blond curls falling in his eyes. Charlotte was going to get herself killed. By his men looking for a new toy; by crazy as hell Texans; by a Plains Nation clan. By him. He growled deep and low, standing to pace the room. The floor tilted dangerously thanks to a wicked hangover.

Cursing himself, Charlie, and the world in general he stumbled over to the door, nearly tripping over his newest officer who, apparently, had passed out sometime during the night's revelry. Bass sneered. Only a weak man couldn't hold his liq- The world spun like a supercharged merry-go-round before his eyes, and Bass lost his balance. As he hit the floor, hard, glass crunched beneath his left shoulder, piercing his military jacket. Wincing, he rolled to side and struggled to stand. Damn beer bottle probably. Back on his feet, Bass turned to glare at the offending bottle. Instead, he found himself staring into the bright blue eyes of an angel.

_Charlie. _

No. Not Charlotte. Just a broken glass figurine. Shaking his head to clear it, Bass began brushing the shards off his jacket shoulder. _Not Charlie. It's not Charlie, it's… _ Bass's head snapped back towards the shattered angel. It was the one Rachel had given Charlie on their wedding day. She'd been crying, her accusing eyes as vivid a blue as her daughter's as she'd watched Charlie show him the angel. He'd smiled and nodded at Rachel, ignoring the way she stiffened whenever he looked directly at her, before turning back to his wife. Charlotte's face had been so bright and happy. He'd never seen her look so relaxed – she'd even agreed _not_ to wear a knife strapped to her calf that day. But only after he'd promised, reluctantly, to be a perfect gentleman…

The door to his library opened, bringing Bass back to reality. Two of his highest-ranking officers strode in, dressed in pristine Militia uniforms.

"You asked for us, General?"

"Yes." President Sebastian Monroe turned away from the angel and straightened his shoulders. "Something of mine's gone missing." He smiled darkly. "And the two of you are going to help me find her."


	3. Chapter 3

"Charlie?" The whisper threaded through their small, one-night camp like a ghost. Rolling onto her side, Charlie scanned the darkness around her until she found what she was looking for – a pair of reflective green eyes. Annie.

"Yeah?" Charlie could've sworn. She'd thought her voice would sound steady, strong. Apparently, not.

"Are you…?" Annie sighed. "I mean, are you going to be-" But Charlie's sudden fit of laughter cut her off.

"OK? Am I going to be OK? Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Leaning over her pack, she rifled through two spare shirts, one pair of pants, underwear, and the rest of her supplies in search of her hunting knife. Her nails scratched the bottom of the bag. _Damn it all to Hell. _Annie tried again.

"You're doing the right thing, you know." Charlie's chest suddenly felt too tight

"Am I?" Turning, she looked back at Annie in the dim firelight, noticing again the bruises around her friend's throat and along her collarbone. Charlie winced.

"You can't wait for a person to hurt you twice. Once they do it the first time, they'll always do it again." Annie's smile was sad – looking at it made the ice creeping up into Charlie's heart crackle and snap like an arctic fire. Annie sounded so much like Charlie's mom, sometimes. Rachel had said something just like that to Charlie on her wedding day. _He's going to do something to hurt you one day, Charlotte. Sooner rather than later, probably. He can't help it. Men like him never can._ Instantly, remembered anger flared up in Charlie, before being promptly smothered by the reality of her current situation. _And baby, when he does, please come home. _In a daze, Rachel had managed to pull her into a brief hug before Charlie came to her senses and pushed her away. Rachel's red-rimmed eyes were filled with tears; she looked more like a 5-year-old kid begging her mom to leave the hallway lights on at night than a 50-year-old woman who'd just insulted the man her only daughter loved enough to marry.

But in the end, Rachel had been… right.

So had Annie. Ever since she and Charlie had met at one of Bass' dinner parties, Annie had always seemed to keep at least one eye on Bass, never turning her back to him, and the other eye on her new husband, Alex Hamilton – one of General Monroe's top officers. At first, Charlie'd thought that Annie had a thing for him, which, needless to say had gotten her relationship with the only other girl her age off to a rocky start. But after noticing more of the little details – the almost-but-not-quite-hidden black and blue marks on Annie's skin peeking through layers of makeup, the way she tensed whenever her husband was nearby, and the way her laughter was always a bit too forced – Charlie knew that Annie was no threat. After that, their conversations had become more genuine, neither working so hard to hide from or decode the other's conversation. They'd become friends. And that was something Charlie hadn't had since Danny died. _Danny_.

Charlie looked up at Annie, who was now snoring softly on the other side of the dying campfire. She must've fallen asleep waiting for Charlie to answer her. If getting lost inside your own head was a sin, Charlie would be the worst sinner of all. Sinking back down to the cold ground, Charlie tried to think about anything but the bed she usually slept in – or the man in it. Charlie shifted, trying to find a good position. She hadn't just left for herself. She'd done it for everyone under Monroe's increasingly terrifying rule. He wasn't the monster he once was. Not yet. But with time, he would be.

She'd done it for Annie too. And just like it had been with Danny, it was Charlie's job to protect Annie, and not just from her bastard husband. Helping Charlie get away from Monroe would've definitely earned her a spot on Bass' hit list. And Charlie couldn't bear to lose another person she cared about to Sebastian Monroe. So that left her with two options: find a way to dethrone Monroe, or force him to kill her along with the rest of his enemies.

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><p><em>Charlie's hands shook like mad, but her gaze was deadly calm. Sebastian Monroe would die tonight. He'd never hurt another living soul. Although he might give Lucifer a run for his throne once she'd personally sent him straight to Hell. <em>

_The New Vegas smoke was as thick as fog around her, pressing down on her head and shoulders, making her fingers itch on her crossbow's trigger. Waiting was always the worst part – waiting for your target to make their final appearance. Waiting to see their eyes widen with shock and dismay and fear when the fatal shot struck. But this time, the wait was worth it. She'd get to see the moment he realized _he_ was going to die. Maybe she'd even make it so the first shot didn't kill him right away. Maybe she'd walk over to stand beside his body while he spasmed with pain – he'd look up, maybe for the first time in his life, in terror, into her eyes. And then she'd shoot the bastard in the face and watch him die._

_The door to Monroe's scuzzy little trailer flew open, and out staggered the man of the hour. His curly hair stuck to his forehead, and his clothes looked like he'd been wearing them for weeks. Head down, Monroe slowly made his way toward the nearest casino. Charlie shifted from her crouch and repositioned her crossbow. Setting Monroe in her sights, she notched the arrow, and-_

_"__I love you, Danny."_

_-let if fly._

Charlie woke up shaking. The dream – a memory really – was already fading, but a deep dread remained. It was like being told the sun would never rise again, and then staring for days at the horizon, hoping and praying that it wasn't true. Crouching there, on the hard, unbroken ground, Charlotte Monroe could barely keep her tears from falling.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry that I took a while to update and that these first few chapters have been a bit episodic in nature. I promise that they'll get longer as the story picks up. It just felt right to end them where they did. I hope you all are enjoying my take on Charlie and Monroe's flint-and-fire relationship - I still just have so many unresolved feelings about them... Anyway, just to clear up any confusion about the timeline of this story, Chapter 1 is set about a year after the end of the second season (I am allowing about a year a piece for each of the TV seasons, which brings us to a grand total of 18 years after the blackout), and as far as most of the characters know, the Nano is gone for good... This story is how I see Charloe's story progressing if they had renewed Revolution for well-deserved additional seasons. And hopefully, if you all like this story, I'll write a prequel that shows how my favorite couple got into the sticky situation they find themselves in in Chapter 1... So please review!**

**And just as a reminder, I do not own Revolution or any of its characters, but God help all the non-Charloe fans out there if I did...**

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><p>Annie liked to believe that she wasn't exceptionally stupid; but she knew for a fact that she wasn't blind. From that first terrible dinner party at Monroe's colonial castle, she'd seen the way Charlie's eyes followed her husband, <em>and<em> the way that Monroe's hand clenched into a fist whenever it wasn't wrapped possessively around Charlie's waist. The two of them really did make quite a pair: a middle-aged dictator with trust issues and a beautiful young fighter who, rumor had it, had once tried to kill him. And from the whispers and sideways looks circulating around the ballroom, Annie hadn't been alone in her observations.

The gossip surrounding their marriage was legendary. _The great Sebastian Monroe weds the niece of his former General, the Butcher of Baltimore, Miles Matheson. B_ut even without all the speculation, Charlie never really had a chance of making friends within Monroe's inner circle. Everyone she came into contact with was either terrified of her husband or secretly wanted him dead, the second type of course blending seamlessly into the sea of Monroe's fawning admirers in order to avoid execution.

Oh yes, the New Republic, like the Old, still had plenty of executions. If anyone had ever thought that marriage might have inspired a more merciful side to Monroe, they were sorely mistaken. Sure, now he didn't seem like was about to shoot somebody in the face at any given moment, but if the brutality of of his officers was any indication, the goals of the New Republic would not be so different from the Old. And Annie sure as Hell wasn't going to wait around and watch the inevitable bloodbath that always resulted from one man's greed, no matter what her husband said about it.

Annie fingered the fresh bruises around her neck, and the one on her thigh that she hadn't even told Charlie about yet - there was really no point now. Wincing, Annie tried not to picture Alex's face when he found out that she'd run away along with Charlie. But, son of a bitch that he was, his cold, dead brown eyes rose up in her mind like a phantom anyway, raising goosebumps all over her body.

No she wasn't blind. If anyone could recognize happiness, it was someone who'd been happy once but... wasn't now.

Someone like Annie.

Charlie _had _been happy with Monroe. Annie'd seen it. Somehow or other, they'd stood side by side at every Militia event, smiling at one another, laughing at the private jokes only real lovers share when they're laying in bed at night. In fact, Annie still wasn't quite sure why Charlie was finally wiling to leave her husband. She only knew what Charlie had told her - that Bass was going to do something terrible and had to be stopped. But Annie wondered if that was all that it was. She didn't doubt for a second that Monroe could be every bit as twisted inside as her own husband if he wanted to. But for Charlie's sake she hoped he wasn't. Besides, she'd seen how Monroe acted around Charlie - always looking out for her, always protecting her. Maybe he hadn't abused Charlie the ways Annie had initially feared...

Through her lashes, Annie looked back at the only friend she'd ever had. Charlie may've thought that she'd fallen asleep when Charlie had failed to answer her, but sleep had never come easily for Annie. So she saw when Charlie woke up gasping for air, fearfully murmuring Bass' name over and over again. Annie's fists clenched involuntarily. _I was wrong. _Charlie was clearly terrified of Bass. She was having nightmares about him for God's sake! The man must truly be a monster to have hurt someone as special as Charlie.

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><p>The midmorning sun glared down at Sebastian Monroe as he purposefully strode straight ahead, his officers nearly running to catch up with him. Nobody could stop him. And from the look in his eyes, anyone would be a damn fool to try. Charlie had been missing for at least four hours, maybe longer. Missing… Bass slowed and nearly had to brace himself on Captain Hamilton, who'd been trailing him all morning. <em>What if- <em>Bass cursed and nearly stumbled. What if Charlie hadn't run off at all? What if she'd been taken? Dear God, if anything happened to her, anything at all, he'd rain blood down on the whole continent. Monroe spun toward his officers.

"Rogers!" The man quickly stepped forward.

"Yes, General?" Lieutenant Rogers was young but reliable, and Monroe needed every good man he had working to find Charlie.

"Have the men finished searching my wife's room? Bass tried to keep his eyes trained on the young man before him, but the sun in his eyes was making it hard. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Yes, sir. No signs of a struggle have been found and there seems to be very little, if anything, missing from Mrs. Monroe's room." The young man looked crestfallen to have so few details to impart. "But Captain Forbes has ordered another sweep through just in case." Monroe's heart fell. No clues, then. He was an excellent tracker, but even he would have trouble following Charlie's trail.

The way he saw it, one of two things had happened. Either Charlie was abducted by someone who would very soon be dead, or she'd left on her own... Which she wouldn't. Why would she leave? _She wouldn't. _Wouldn't she? _No. She wouldn't. _Bass shook his head, trying to clear it. _I know s__he wouldn't leave me - wouldn't leave. _ Maybe she wasn't very happy with you. _No, she was. _She_ wouldn't leave... _Are you sure? _She wouldn't. I know! _

As he came to his senses, Monroe slowly realized that he was hunched on the ground clutching his head in both hands, trying to stop the voices. A buzzing noise by his left ear, which slowly evolved into a man's worried voice, made him cringe. _Ssssssseeeeeerrrr, ssssss, ssiiiiirrrrrrr, ssssssiiirrr, siir, sir, sir, sir, ssss, sir, SIR-_

"Sir!" Lieutenant Rogers was leaning over him, a nearly-frantic concern on his face. Monroe gripped his head even tighter.

"Get away from me!" Bass screamed. "Where is she?! I need to see her." Looking around, Hamilton and Rogers were a few feet away, staring at him like he'd lost his his mind. Furious, Monroe surged to his feet. "WHERE'S CHARLOTTE?" Surprisingly, it was young Rogers who answered first, while Hamilton continued to look on in consternation.

"She's not here, Sir." The lieutenant slowly moved toward him, a pleading expression on his childlike face. Bass sank back to the ground

"Where is she?" Monroe's head hurt like Hell, but he had to know.

"That's what you were trying to find out. In fact, Sir, I believe you were just about to organize a search party to begin looking for Mrs. Monroe." The merciless pounding inside Monroe's skull had lessened, and he found he could even focus on Rogers' face. The young man seemed to be able to tell that his leader was finally coming out of it because he brightened with relief. Accepting Rogers' proffered hand, Monroe pulled himself to his feet. Both Rogers and Hamilton snapped to attention.

"What are your orders, General?" Hamilton sounded wary, causing Monroe's own shoulders to straighten. Taking a measured breath, Monroe fell back into the role he was born to play.

"Organize a unit of your best men. Tell Forbes that both you and he will be accompanying me on this mission. Prepare for at least five weeks without any supplemental provisions, and pack accordingly." The President of the New Republic turned toward the younger man. "You too, Rogers. I want you with me. Tell the men to inform their families that they may not be back for a few months. We're not stopping until we find her-"

"General Monroe!" The shout from behind brought Bass reeling around, nearly colliding with the sergeant racing toward him.

"What is it, soldier?" Monroe tried to keep the annoyance out of his gravelly voice.

"One of the men just found something in Mrs. Monroe's wastebasket." He held out a crumpled slip of paper for Monroe to take. "It's a note, Sir."

Bass snatched the paper out of the man's hand and quickly began to read.

_Bass,_

_This may come as a surprise to you, but really you left me no other choice. And if you're not sure why I left, just think about it - really think about it. You're out of control Bass. Just like before. And I'm not going to stand by your side while you murder innocent people for power. We're on different teams now, Bass, even though we both said that'd never happen. And even though I'm the one leaving, you know who really left first. _

_Charlie_

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><p>Alex Hamilton watched the General's face carefully. Monroe was brilliant, no one could deny that, but it was times like these when he worried whether or not he'd made a wise choice in joining the New Republic. In the beginning, Alex had been dubious of the <em>great<em> Sebastian Monroe - hadn't the man lost his empire once already? Who's to say it wouldn't happen again? Hamilton's lips twitched up into the barest hint of a smile. _Well, as things stand now, that would be me._ As one of Monroe's closest advisors, Alex planned on doing everything in his power to ensure that the Republic didn't fall to pieces again. After all, he wanted to rule the Republic someday, didn't he? Better to keep it from self-destructing entirely then.

Refocusing his attention on Monroe, he noticed the way the older man's (well, he was in his mid-forties) lips were trembling slightly as he held the paper, like he desperately wanted to say something but couldn't. Alex gritted his teeth in frustration - _all this sentiment_. It was pathetic.

Why did Monroe even give a damn at all? Women are supposed to be disposable - when you finish with one, move on to the next. The little Matheson bitch hadn't been worth nearly this much trouble, even if she was hot as Hell. For his part, Alex wouldn't have really minded a roll in the sheets with her... He glanced back at Monroe. But judging by the way the General always looked at her, Alex had quickly realized that that was _never_ going to happen. _At least not until I'm running the Republic, that is. _But for now, Alex needed to stay in Monroe's good graces. The man's leadership now would keep the Militia unified and the Republic's citizens afraid. Perhaps when all was secure, and Monroe had finally taken over the continent, Alex would see to it that the General suddenly died... Of natural causes, _of course_. However, until then, he needed Monroe at his best.

Truthfully, Hamilton had worried that the man had lost his famous inner fire in the pursuit of marital_ bliss_. But as he watched the President read the wrinkled note, watched his icy blue eyes dim with disappointment and then blaze with deadly fury, watched the once-great General being resurrected before his very eyes, Alex grinned with cold certainty and thought passingly of his own wife. _We're coming for you, Annie. _Head high, expression dangerously calm, General Monroe gave the final order.

"Prepare the men. We leave in an hour."

At last, the true Sebastian Monroe was back.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope you're all spending time with the people you love. Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed - it really helped inspire me to get this chapter out in time for V-day. And never fear, even though our favorite couple isn't exactly together for Valentines day, it doesn't mean that they aren't still thinking of one another... I really hope you enjoy this and please leave a review if you have time! Happy V-day!**

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><p><em>STOP<em>

_"Bass, stop. Please! Stop. Please Bass... please! _Stop." _Charlie squealed happily. "Your just supposed to get the garter and GET OUT." Her husband's laughter tickled the skin of her thigh, making her almost wish she hadn't let Rachel talk her into a small reception after the wedding ceremony. But, Charlie couldn't take that away from her mom - as unhappy as Rachel was about Charlie's choice in men, she'd been ecstatic at the opportunity to help Charlie plan her wedding. With the way things had been over the past couple of years, she'd never thought she'd get the chance. And after all, Rachel's own marriage to Miles only a few weeks earlier had put her into quite a sentimental mood._

_"Bass, what's taking you so long?" Charlie asked the man submerged waist-deep into the folds of her wedding dress, trying to keep the smile out of her voice. "You know, most men know what their doing when it comes to-" Charlie broke of in a gasp as/when Bass' teeth grazed her inner thigh, just below the lacy garter. Damn that garter! Who'd come up with this... this stupid... tradition... But Charlie's heart wasn't in her internal ranting. In fact, if it weren't for all the people watching -_ including Miles and her mom - _Charlie might've gained a healthy respect for the tradition in... all it's forms. But for now, well, thank God she was sitting down._

_The roughened hands holding her slim leg still tightened slightly and Charlie braced herself for another _assault. _But Monroe knew her too well. He ran his nose along the curve of her knee, making her shiver and relax. That wasn't so ba- That's when he bit her. Not hard, but not gentle either. It wasn't a nibble and it wasn't a mauling. It was... intoxicating. Bass' lips lingered on the sensitive skin of her lower thigh, pressing a gentle kiss over the subtle marks his teeth had left. Placing one hand on her upper thigh, and one hand on her lower, Bass' mouth finally closed over the garter and he began to pull._

_"Thank God," Charlie breathed. She seriously worried about her ability to stand after Monroe's little self-guided tour. She'd experienced a lot in her 22 years, but never anything quite like that. Bass nearly had the garter at her ankle now, and Charlie was weighing the wisdom of her sudden desire to kick her new husband in the face, but __at that moment __some man in the crowd of wedding guests took it upon himself to clear his throat, rather loudly. Charlie's head snapped up and she could feel Bass pause. Slowly, her eyes lost some of their bridal haze and she focused on the throat-clearer. Miles. Why was she not surprised? __Beside him, Rachel was gazing up at the man she'd married, a small smile on her lips._

_"I don't mean to rush this, Bass, but if you could get out from under my niece's skirt sometime before we both turn 100, that'd be great." Shouts and laughter bounced through the crowd, and more than one father slapped Miles on the back while their own daughters hung back, blushing furiously in embarrassment. _

_But instead of feeling embarrassed, Charlie felt more at ease than she'd felt all day. This was how things were supposed to be. Bass and Miles giving each other a hard time, Charlie rolling her eyes and laughing right along with them, and Rachel always trying to be the responsible one but secretly happy about getting getting sucked into their childish banter all the same. For the first time since she and Bass had told her mom and Miles that they were getting married, Charlie truly believed that they could all actually be a family someday._

_Bass' hot breath blew in between her legs as he laughed and shouted out a reply._

_"Brother, I didn't try to screw you over on your wedding day, so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep the commentary to a minimum on mine. You're embarrassing my wife." __Charlie laughed loudly at this, and he pinched her calf playfully in return. "And if you can't contain yourself, I'd like to personally invite you to go to Hell." Another wave of laughter and cheers went up from the crowd - this time from all the young men standing steadfastly beside their sweethearts - and Bass took his own sweet time pulling the garter free of Charlie's foot._

_Finally, delicate garter in his mouth, Bass emerged from beneath the silky fabric of Charlie's wedding dress. He looked up at his bride, his blue eyes shining, and slowly took the garter from his mouth. Rising, Monroe moved to stand beside Charlie, his right hand coming to rest gently on her back and his left holding the garter out for the crowd's inspection. Bass smiled like'd he'd just seen the sun for the first time._

_"If you don't mind, gentlemen," Bass paused, looking down at Charlie and smirking, "I do believe I'll keep this." Boisterous laughter followed, swirling around the new couple like mist, allowing them a brief moment of privacy._

_Charlie swallowed, trying to recognize the feeling that was making her stomach clench and her mind go startlingly blank. All of a sudden, her palms felt sweaty and she hoped that her husband wouldn't notice. Nervous? Was she really nervous? It was just Bass, just... Her husband... Without a thought, her eyes flew to Bass's, which were already smiling down at her from his handsome face. Time seemed to slow down around them; or maybe it sped up, who knows? But either way, the two of them were in a world entirely of their own. _

_Bass lowered the arm holding the garter and tucked _the little ring of lace_ safely into the pocket of his freshly ironed trousers. Then he raised a hand, hesitantly at first and then more sure of himself, to brush one of Charlie's wispy curls out of her face. That done, his warm hand came to rest on Charlie's cheek, making her heart skip a few beats. Sebastian Monroe's icy blue eyes were filled with happiness and love as he stared down at Charlie, thanking the God he'd stopped believing in for every single part of her._

_"I love you, Charlotte." Charlie's eyes closed briefly, and then reopened, failing to hide the happy tears that had gathered on her lashes._

_"I love you too, Bass."_

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><p>As the memory came to an end, Monroe found that the familiar rocking motion of his horse beneath him was far from comforting. Bass grimaced, easily recalling every detail of her beautiful face - tanned skin, long blonde waves, and sparkling blue eyes... Reaching for the thing he'd carried with him every day since his wedding, over 6 months ago, Bass' fingers brushed against the familiar feel of the lace and silk he kept in his uniform's breast-coat pocket. Charlie's lace and silk.<p>

Eyes dry and itchy, Bass indulged in his memories for just one moment more before pulling his hand away. He scanned the empty road ahead and then looked back at the soldiers following him. They'd find Charlie. Maybe even today. But what then? _I'll convince her to come back with me. _ Really? You'll do that. _Yes. _How? _I'll tell her how much I- _Love her? _Yeah. _Because that kept her from running in the first place didn't it? Oh, no. Itdidn't. _Shut up! She'll come back once I tell her- _What will you tell her? That you'll give up the Republic? That everything you've done was to protect her? You know that won't work. Charlie sees black and white, good and evil. She'll never believe you. You're not even sure if you believe you- _I said SHUT UP! _

Monroe's head was pounding. Strangely enough, the little voice inside his head was getting to sound a lot more like his first in-command, Hamilton, with each passing day. Either way, it was getting harder for Bass to even think without it chiming in. Monroe groaned quietly. The pain in his head was getting unbearable, but there was no way in Hell he was going to stop until he found Charlie. He just need a drink. And a soft bed. And his wife. Bass sighed.

Yeah, there was definitely somewhere else he'd rather be on Valentine's day than searching for his valentine.

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><p>When Annie woke up - she must've fallen asleep at some point during the night - the first thing she noticed was that it was very very bright. Like, interrogation room bright. The two of them should've been long gone by now; Monroe's men wouldn't be far behind. Sitting up quickly, she took stock of her surroundings.<p>

_What the Hell?_

The sun, high in the sky; the birds, making the trees around their little camp rustle; Charlie, sitting and staring off into thin air-

"Charlie?" No answer. "Charlie?" Annie tried to keep the panic out of her voice. Her friend's eyes just looked so vacant. She'd never seen Charlie look like this before - like she'd finally given up. Well, Annie was _not _going to let that happen.

"Charlie, dammit, _answer me!" _Charlie's head turned slightly in her direction, but her expression remained as blank as Annie had ever seen it. And her skin looked a little pale too... Annie got up quickly and ran over to her.

"Oh God, Charlie. What happened to you?" Annie checked her forehead, looking for a fever. Nothing. "Charlie, you've got to tell me what's wrong, otherwise I won't know how to help you." Annie's voice was getting frantic. "Come on, Charlie. Monroe's could be here any second, and we. Need. To. Go."

Before Annie realized what was happening, Charlie's head snapped up and she shot to her feet. The vacant look was gone, replaced by a wild woman's gaze. Charlie's breath had become rapid and labored.

"We have to go. Now." Charlie raced over to where she'd set her pack and stuffed the supplies she'd taken out back in. Slinging it over her shoulder, Charlie marched over to the fire, stamping out the last embers, and scattering the remaining logs with her foot, all the while muttering. "We need to go."

"Charlie. Charlie stop," Annie pleaded, and was surprised when Charlie whirled around to look at her like Annie'd just hit her with a stick.

"What'd you say?" Charlie's eyes were wide and wild, waiting for Annie's reply

"I told you to stop." Charlie's eyes cleared somewhat and she looked down in exasperated confusion. Annie infused her next words with as much authority as she could manage. "We do have to get moving, Charlie, but we're not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong with you?"

Slowly, Charlie's eyes met Annie's again. And this time, there was neither madness nor apathy in their depths. Instead there was fear.

"Annie," Charlie began slowly, hesitantly as if she were unsure whether or not all of this was real. "I'm pregnant."

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><p><strong>Dun, dun, dun... Hope you enjoyed! And brownie points to the people who caught my season 2 Charloe reference. Lemme know what you guys think of the story so far...<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I know, I know. It's been a month since I last posted, and I've totally missed getting feedback from you guys about my story. Sadly, my family has been dealing with multiple illnesses and emergencies lately, which, needless to say, has given me a lot less time to write. But I'm sure all of you can understand that, and I'm grateful for your patience in waiting for this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, as I had a lot of fun writing it. And not to worry: I've finally figured out the full scope of where I want this story to go, and I am dedicated to writing it ALL. So rest assured, even if I don't post every week, I will always eventually post. Oh and by the way, even though I have an outline of this story in my head already, I would be more than happy to hear from you guys about where you'd like the story to go. Fresh perspectives and ideas always help, and ALWAYS get me writing. Enjoy, ya'll!**

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><p>Walking down a backwater dirt road in the middle of nowhere with someone you've just quite possibly sent into cardiac arrest is quite an experience. <em>Not one that I would personally recommend, but hey, <em>Charlie thought wryly.

Annie hadn't said a word since Charlie had told her- told her... Damn, Charlie wasn't even ready to think about it too closely. The good news was, even if she was, you-know, she couldn't be that far along - she'd gotten her period three months ago. But nothing since then... Maybe she was overreacting. Women missed their periods all the time, didn't they? Just another way Mother Nature liked to screw with women, right?

Charlie closed her eyes briefly, trying to believe it.

But that explanation, comforting as it was, just didn't seem right. She'd always been pretty regular, and for her not to be now, just months after her marriage to a _very_ attractive man - Charlie winced. Well, was it any surprise that she might be... Still she couldn't say it

But _Hell_, wasn't she supposed to be throwing up and crying and holding guns to peoples heads and stuff? Sure, her head had been a little screwed up lately, but she _had _just left her dictator husband to go find her uncle, now married to her mother, who at one time had been best friends with Bass, in order to ask him for his help in stopping Bass' plans to take over the world.

_Well, that's not entirely fair to Bass. He's just planning to take over the continent for now._

_ What a guy._

_And anyway, any person who's not a little bit crazy after dealing with that kind of crap __FOR YEARS has got herself some pretty damn low expectations._

Charlie came out of her own thoughts just in time to watch her friend nearly drown in hers. Annie was walking alongside Charlie, her eyes unfocused, her face scrunched up in thought, dead quiet. She'd been like that for over an hour - ever since the two of them had silently packed up camp and hit the road. Honestly, Charlie was beginning to wonder if telling Annie the news had really been the best idea when she saw a flicker of movement to her left.

Apparently Annie was finally ready to get the heart-to-heart over with because she cleared her throat and straightened out her shoulders - before slumping back over, shoving her long hands deep into her pockets, and staring hard up into the sky like she was trying to find the words. After a few more minutes of silence, Annie just sighed and rubbed her forehead. Charlie almost smiled. It was scary sometimes just how much Annie reminded her of Miles.

"Is that why you decided to run?" Annie glanced over at her, her green eyes troubled.

For a split second, the question threw Charlie. Why would she go and force her child to grow up without ever knowing her father? Charlie'd grown up without one of her parents, and as a child she'd vowed that she would _never_ do that to one of her own kids. But...

_Oh yeah, because the man I married is a homicidal maniac._ Charlie dropped her gaze from Annie's, unwilling for her friend to see the momentary flash of pain that lit her eyes._ Still, apparently. And he'll never change._

Choking down one of the biting responses that always seemed to come too easily to her, Charlie looked back at Annie, knowing that for all the crap her friend was going to have to go through for helping her escape, well, she deserved the truth. And more than a little respect

_"_No, Annie, it isn't." Seeing the question - the rising panic - in Annie's eyes, Charlie added quickly, "but if I'd known I would've left anyway. Probably sooner." Although, it would've been hard to have been more efficient with the time they'd had than they'd already been. Confusion clouded Annie's face.

"Charlie, don't take this the wrong way but why would you still want to leave if you'd known you were pregnant?" The pained expression that crossed over Annie's face was only there for a moment, but it didn't escape Charlie's notice. And it could've been her imagination, but Annie's voice sounded a little ragged when she spoke again. "Didn't Monroe want kids?"

Charlie's chest suddenly felt too tight - but she just shrugged.

"Well Bass already has a kid."

"Yeah, Connor, right?" Annie dipped her head thoughtfully. "I remember Alex mentioning him once. Something about a fallout-"

"Yeah, they haven't seen each other in a while."

When it became clear that that was all Charlie was going to say about it, Annie shrugged and pressed on.

"Ok, so when did you find out about... the kid?"

"Just this morning."

That little confession hung in the air between them for a few minutes, each lost in her own world of thoughts. Until Annie broke the silence.

_"_Soooo..." Her voice sounded funny to Charlie's ears - she sounded almost _excited. _ Annie took a deep breath. "Are you sure, Charlie?" Charlie glanced over at her friend in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" Annie stared at Charlie, trying to match her friend's tone with some possible,_ rational _meaning. But nothing fit.

"Are you sure you're pregnant?" Annie's pale face lit up with a hesitant smile. "I mean, as sure as you can be with this type of thing?" Charlie stared at her friend in disbelief - Annie might as well have been jumping up and down like a freaking 10-year-old. This was _nothing_ to be excited about.

"You do get how this is a bad thing, right? Charlie tried to keep her voice level. "You know, 'cuz we're _on the run._ From both our husbands, by the way. So, all in all, this isn't the best thing that could happen right now."

"I know. I'm not an idiot, Charlie. Yeah, this is going to make some things a little harder. But I mean come on! You have to be at least a little happy. You're going to have a baby!"

"Well, yeah, Annie! Let's just throw a baby shower while we're at it, huh? Invite Miles and Rachel. Oh and we can't forget about Bass." Charlie barely registered the way Annie's smile had faded before starting up again. "Hey why don't we invite Alex too? It'll be great. We can play Guess Who Monroe's Gonna Kill Next and Whose Psychopathic Husband Is Gonna Be The First To Help Him. And who the Hell knows? We might both win a _freaking_ prize!" By the time Charlie finished, Annie's face had paled considerably, and there was no trace of the former smile. Instead, her eyes were full of tears and betrayal.

Charlie's racing heart stuttered.

"Annie, listen-" But the words stuck in her throat. _Shit. _Charlie couldn't believe it. The one person who'd risked everything to help her get away from the Republic, and here she was treating her like crap. Worse than crap, really. No matter what was going on in Charlie's own screwed-up life, bringing up Annie's husband was _way_ over the line. Hadn't Charlie seen firsthand what that man was capable of?

Charlie sighed deeply.

"Annie, I'm sorry. You don't deserve this. Any of it." She paused briefly, letting her natural courage buoy her next words. "And if it weren't for me you wouldn't have to put with it."

Annie's gaze found Charlie's instantly, the heat behind it nearly making Charlie take a step back.

"Don't _ever_ say anything like that again. If it weren't for you, I'd still be back in Chicago. With Alex." Charlie flinched. "Even if you hadn't run, it was only a matter of time before I did." Tears were trickling down Annie's face in a steady stream now. "Oh it would've killed me to never see you again, Charlie." She bit her lip, and then took a shuddering breath. "You're my best friend - my only friend... And I'm selfish enough to be grateful that you ran with me. I should want you to live a happy life. With Bass. With your baby_. _And I do! But... I'm also so relieved - that I - didn't have to leave on - my own." Annie was trying to pull herself together, but try as she might, the sobs kept coming.

Unsure what to do, Charlie just stood there for a second, watching her friend break down. She hadn't felt like a big sister in so long… she had no idea how to be one anymore. But, for Annie's sake, she had to at least try. Hesitantly, she moved toward the other girl and then slowly put her arms around Annie's shaking shoulders. And after a moment, Annie hugged Charlie back as hard as her thin arms would allow. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Charlie gently pulled back.

"We both had our reasons why we needed to leave Chicago." Charlie stopped, stared hard at the ground, and then finally continued. "I know that I never told you what made me want to get the Hell out of the Republic so quickly. Why I need to get to Texas… There's - someone there who can help us."

"Help us?" Annie frowned. "With what, Charlie?" Looking a Hell of a lot calmer than she felt, Charlie met Annie's curious eyes with a look laced with iron.

"Miles is going to help us take down Monroe."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Annie's eyes were wide with disbelief. "You're going to kill Monroe?"

"I never said that Annie!"Charlie angrily scrubbed a hand across her eyes._ "_We're _not _going to kill him." Charlie straightened her spine. "Not unless we have to."

"I don't get you Charlie! I mean, Hell, Aren't we trying to get _away _from him? Now you're talking about going back and _assassinating_ your husband? What the Hell, Charlie?"

"Do you think this is how I want things to be? Do you think I want to kill Monroe? Dammit, I _love_-" Charlie bit her lip. What was the point? "Annie, just listen for a second, OK?" Gaa, she was so tired. Annie nodded slightly, obviously hoping that Charlie hadn't completely lost her mind.

"About a week ago, I was going to meet Bass in his office for dinner. When I was passing by his briefing room, I heard voices. One of them was Bass's. So I was about to go in to remind him of our plans, but then I heard Alex's voice too. And no offense, but I never trusted that man."

"None taken," Annie replied wryly. Charlie smiled without any real conviction.

"So I waited by the door - I wanted to hear what they were talking about, and Alex always mysteriously seems to forget what he was going to say whenever I come into the room." Charlie paused, letting the memory of that night wash over her. "Then I heard it." Charlie glanced over at Annie, who was listening intently. "The two of them were weighing the pros and cons of invading the Georgia Federation this year or next year. Alex was pushing hard for this year. He said that Georgia's newest building project would be underway in a few weeks and would leave them vulnerable to attack since so many of their men would be on their southern border renovating Georgia's docks." after another deep breath, Charlie continued, softer than before. "And Monroe agreed." Her breaths were coming hard now, as the shock she'd felt that night came crashing back down on her. Shock and a sickening sense of betrayal. Bass had_ promised_ he'd never pull that psycho, dictator crap again._ Well, he lied._

"And then Monroe- he said that defeating Georgia first would make it easier for him to take the rest of the continent."

Charlie let her words hang in the air, giving Annie the chance to process how bad things really were.

"That's when I knew I had to find Miles. And, I was hoping that my being gone would - distract - Monroe. Give us the time we need to find Miles and get a solid plan together."

"So... Monroe, he never, uh... you know, hurt you?" Looking scared as Hell, Annie clenched her fists, ready to march straight back to the Republic and set Monroe on his ass if Charlie said he'd so much as looked at her funny. But as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them - Charlie looked absolutely horrified.

"God, no!" It was barely a whisper but it made Annie's heart a Hell of a lot lighter.

Monroe might be crazy as all outdoors, but at least he'd never hurt Charlie.

"Why would you even ask-" Charlie's mouth snapped shut. The faint memory of Annie, saying something like "You did the right thing... Once someone hurts you, they'll always do it again," popped into her mind. Charlie'd thought Annie had been talking about herself - Charlie'd been so busy thinking about how she was going to get the two of them to Texas that she hadn't really been listening that closely... Had Annie meant _her_?

"I thought maybe that's what made you decide to leave in the end." Looking sheepish, Annie avoided looking directly into Charlie's eyes, hoping that she'd just let the moment pass. But Charlie wasn't one to let injustices lie. It was one of the reasons Annie respected her so much. But dammit if that trait wasn't going to bite her in the ass today.

Charlie's fierce expression looked like it had been carved from stone.

"I swear, Annie, if I ever see that little son-of-a-bitch husband of yours again, I will make him suffer." Charlie's hand twitched toward the sword strapped to her hips - the one Miles had given her as a sort of going-away present. It was almost as good as having him there with her. And she knew that if he had been there with them, he would've been the first to volunteer to help Charlie put the fear of God into Alex Hamilton. _Who knows, maybe one day we'll get the chance? _Charlie squared her small shoulders. "I promise. That man is never going to hurt you again." Looking toward her friend, who's eyes remained fixed on the ground, she forced her voice to steady itself. "We'll both make sure of it." At that, Annie's head slowly rose, her gaze coming to meet Charlie's, who nodded. And then they both dropped it.

A few more minutes passed in silence, but the quiet was no longer tense with worry, or rabid with fear. It was almost... normal. Like the two of them were just taking another walk through the gardens behind Monroe's house and had stopped to smell the roses that were in bloom. And there wasn't anything to be afraid of. Well, maybe there was one thing.

Charlie smiled softly, letting the fantasy sweep through her.

The only thing she'd have to worry about was making sure Bass didn't declare a national holiday when she told him that they were going to have a baby. A spark of hope suddenly came to life within her. She could only imagine how he'd react, but...

She would ask him to go for a ride, and Bass would roll his eyes and smile down at her. Then, after he'd canceled all his meetings, and ordered a small party of soldiers to discretely follow them past the Chicago city limits, they'd saddle their matched horses and go. Flying through their city, they'd stay close together, neither of them willing to lose the other. And then when they reached that patch of sunny grass they'd found when they first came to Chicago, they would quietly slip away from their escort and stroll down to the pond they both loved - it looked so much like the one Bass had taught Charlie how to swim in.

And then she'd tell him, when they were both soaking wet from splashing one another and almost half the pond water was covering the rocky mud _outside_ of the pond.

He'd stare at her, blue eyes careful, wary lest they misunderstand. His brilliant gaze would dart down to her flat stomach and then back up to her face, trying to puzzle it out. And then, like the sunrise, comprehension would slowly dawn on his face. She'd take his hand in hers and he'd hold her close. A few hard-won tears would gather on his eyelashes as he smiled down into her bright, happy face. And then he'd kiss her, and kiss her, and... She could almost taste his lips on her tongue.

"So," Annie's normal, playful tone was back, shaking Charlie out of her daydream. Charlie was relieved to hear it, even if it was still a bit strained. And honestly, now wasn't the time or the place to be thinking about could-have-beens - they would only lead to more heartbreak. Besides, light was good right now; light was safe. And if Charlie was going to keep her shit together for both their sakes, for all the people that Monroe could hurt - _and, uh, for the kid too_ - "light" was exactly what they needed to be right now. And brilliant girl that Annie was, she knew it. "Are we both just going to stand here all day, or do you actually want to get some quality exercise in before Monroe's men catch us?"

Charlie grinned and actually laughed out loud for once.

"Well, one, you're a smart-ass-"

"I am not!"

"-And two, we're not going to get caught." Charlie's blue eyes twinkled. "I happen to have a plan." Annie's eyebrow flew up so high, Charlie hoped it would get stuck that way.

"That's reassuring. Really it is. But maybe you could tell me what the plan is." She rolled her eyes. "_Before_ we get wherever the Hell we're going."

"You mean Texas?" Charlie supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, idiot. I know that. I was kind of hoping for something a little less vague." She looked hard at her friend. "Come on, Charlie! Are we gonna go south, east, west - through Georgia till we reach the Mexican border? Where?!"

"We're making a straight shot for Texas."

"Right. And next you're going to tell me that we're going through the Plains Nation." When Charlie didn't reply, the hairs on the back of Annie's neck began to tingle suspiciously. "Wait, hold on... you don't mean..." But Charlie just stared back at her, the slightest smile tugging at her lips. Annie growled in frustration. "Dammit."

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><p>"Well, I've always said I wanted to see the Plains Nation. And besides this will give me a chance to work on my tan." Annie stretched out her arms in front of her for maximum sun exposure, and Charlie couldn't stop the stupid grin that was spreading all over her face - that was happening a lot lately, Charlie mused.<p>

As a matter of fact, Annie'd never said anything of the kind. And if she had, Charlie would've smacked her over the head and set her straight. Nobody "wanted" to go to the Plains Nation - it was always a last resort type of thing. There were really only two types of people that entered the Plains: men who were slaves to their schedule or men who were slaves.

Fortunately for them both, Charlie and Annie were the first sort of traveler.

Glancing over to her left, she saw that Annie was pulling out the pink sunglasses she'd had the foresight to bring with her. Really, Charlie was impressed with how well her friend was handling everything. As far as she knew, Annie had never even been outside of Chicago for more than a day, and even if she had, she'd certainly never had to walk halfway down the map in the blazing sun with only few packs of beef jerky and some water. Annie slipped her glasses on, and Charlie nearly groaned when the sunlight bounced off their glossy neon surface and hit her directly in the eye. Well, there was no denying that Annie was still a city girl-

Seeing Charlie's wince, Annie had glanced over at her in concern. After another moment, Annie'd removed her glasses and was sorting through her small backpack. Finding what she needed, she pulled out her half-full canteen, uncapped it, and drizzled a little water onto the dirt at her feet. Then, before Charlie could even blink, Annie was squatting down, pawing the new mud with her fingertips. When she'd finished, she was back up again, taking her glasses in one hand, with wet mud in the other. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, she began smearing the mud over the bright pink surface, muting the color into something far less conspicuous.

Charlie smiled proudly.

-_But a damn smart city girl at that._

"Come on. We've gotta go." Without another word, Charlie headed South.

Annie just smiled at her best friend.

"Just do me one favor, Charlie." Charlie rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep from smiling back.

"Fine. What is it?"

"Just lay off the booze for a little while 'till John Boy gets here, OK? I think we'll both be needing you at your best for the time being."

"Jon Boy? Really, Annie?" Charlie didn't even try to keep the disgust out of her voice. But Annie just smirked at her, her bright eyes happy.

"What, I grew up watching The Waltons!"

"Yeah, well remind me to never take your advice on baby names, OK?"

Annie sighed dramatically, her green eyes full of mischief.

"Everybody's a critic," Annie muttered, kicking the dirt as they both picked up the pace

"And for your information Annie, I happen to do some of my best work while I'm drunk."


End file.
